JOLIET, Ill. -- Kamryn Koontz's three-run blast and Kaitlyn Schofield's first collegiate homerun in Game 2 enabled the University of St. Francis softball team to gain a split on the day as the Fighting Saints bounced back from a 5-4 first-game loss with a 10-2 Game 2 mercy rule victory over Viterbo University (Wis.) in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play on Friday.

USF (29-9, 15-2 CCAC) put together a seventh inning rally in the opener before coming up one run short in the end.  In the nightcap, Schofield (14-6) had a shutout going through four complete innings before allowing a V-Hawk two-run homerun in the top of the fifth.

Sarah Viar recorded the most hits on the day for St. Francis with her five in seven at-bats, while Koontz accounted for the most RBIs with her three-run blast as part of USF's eight-tun third inning in Game 2.  Schofield also connected for a two-run walk-off homerun in the fifth of that same game to solidify the score at 10-2 and end the contest early via the mercy rule.

Game 1: Viterbo 5, USF 4
The Saints had plenty of chances to break the game open, but were unable to come up with the clutch hit when they needed it, leaving nine runners on the base paths in total by the end of the contest.

St. Francis was the first to get on the scoreboard after a two-out RBI single in the first inning from Jaelynn Taylor plated Viar.  Viterbo (11-23, 6-8) made it a three-run game, however, in the third with two homeruns to mark the score at 4-1 before pushing its fifth run of the game across the plate via a two-out base hit.

Two innings later, and after Hailey Kaddatz authored a base hit to start of the frame, Viar and Kylie Cook would bring the contest to within two runs (5-3) in the seventh inning with back-to-back base hits and put the tying run on second base with one out.  Emily Hurst and Taylor would follow with back-to-back walks to load the bases before Isabella Landeros coaxed a walk of her own in the next at-bat to up the score to 5-4, but the Saints could not get the clutch hit they would need in their final two tries resulting in the one-run loss.

Viar and Taylor were the big hitters for St. Francis.  Viar went 3-for-4 with two doubles, while Taylor reached base in all four of her plate appearance with a trio of hits and a walk.  Cook and Kaddatz added two other hits as part eight total for St. Francis' offense.

Emily Boyle (15-3) struck out a career-high13 batters while scattering six hits in her seven innings of work in the circle. 

Game 2: USF 10, Viterbo 2  (5 innings)
In Game 2, Schofield was holding onto a no-hit bid in the circle heading into the fifth inning before the V-Hawks were able to muster two straight hits to start the frame resulting in two runs crossing the plate via a two-run homerun to centerfield.  Schofield then retired the next three batters in order to finish the game with seven strikeouts and set the stage for her offensive dramatics.

After the two teams traded two scoreless innings to start off the game, St. Francis exploded for eight runs in the third as a result of eight hits and two V-Hawk errors.  Viar, Landeros, Koontz and Missy Saldana all drove in runs in the frame - highlighted by Koontz's three-run blast - while Cook and Morgan Smardo joined the quartet in registering base hits in the inning.

Later in the fifth, needing two runs to put the mercy rule into effect, Schofield delivered just that with her walk-off two-run homerun to straightaway centerfield that also scored Koontz, who had previously reached base via a lead-off walk

Seven of nine USF starters contributed at least one hit to the 10-hit second-game attack topped by Viar's (2-for-3) and Landeros (2-for-3) two base hits apiece.

Up Next
The Saints will travel to Palos Heights, Ill. tomorrow (April 11) to host Viterbo in its final contest of the teams' three-game series.  First pitch is scheduled for 12 pm at the Schaaf Athletic Complex.

You can keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on X @USFSaints.